Chapter 638 Shouldn't
They all debuted as idols and released songs, such as the classic OSTs from "Chinese Paladin". Lu Yanhe had planned from the beginning that they would sing the songs themselves.
Of course, besides these songs, there are also "Sigh of Leisure" and "Finally Understand".
However, Lu Yanhe has not yet completed the song "Xiaoyao Tan," and the other song is not as widely known or influential as these four.
Of course, the most crucial reason is that Lu Yanhe himself doesn't know how the whole song "Finally Understand" is sung; he only has a vague impression, and his magic touch can't replicate it.
Therefore, in addition to the three songs that Lu Yanhe himself put forward, they will definitely need to find other people to make the OST, including the promotional songs.
Lu Yanhe then planned to approach Qin Zhibai and Song Linxin, two singer-songwriters, and commission one song from each of them.
Besides the two of them, Lu Yanhe also hopes that the drama can have a few more more authentic and grand music tracks.
Because in this drama, almost every main character sacrifices themselves to save the world or defeat the villains. In fact, the most important reason why this idol drama, disguised as a fantasy drama, has been able to resonate for so many years is the choice of its characters; each person's choice is ultimately about helping others and protecting the world.
This allows the drama, while its overall style is "small love," to ultimately elevate to "great love." Through the tragedy of facing death to save the world, these young characters have forged an eternal monument in the hearts of young viewers.
While we were talking about the song, Chen Ziyan said that the Spring Festival Gala program team had sent another invitation.
This year, Lu Yanhe, Li Zhibai, and Yan Liang, just like last year, each released a blockbuster work.
From "The Peak" in the first half of the year to "Even Faking Death Is Not Allowed" and "Love Letter" in the second half, the three of them still firmly hold the top spot among the younger generation of male actors.
Many people launched an attack, but no one succeeded in taking his place.
In addition, their performance and feedback on last year's Spring Festival Gala were very successful, which made the Spring Festival Gala production team hope that the three of them could reunite once again.
The Spring Festival Gala production team knew that the three of them still had a song called "Love" that hadn't been released yet.
Chen Ziyan said, "The problem is that next year's Spring Festival Gala is in early February. Under normal circumstances, you have to participate in many rehearsals in January. You also have several plays to be performed at the end of the year, from 'Telephone' to 'Lost in Thailand.' Moreover, you and Yan Liang are also filming 'Friends.' If you accept the Spring Festival Gala—"
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and said, "Time is very tight."
“Yes.” Chen Ziyan nodded. “Even if the time can be coordinated, you will definitely be very tired. Especially this year, Yan Liang can only join the cast of “Friends” after finishing “Dragon Inn”, which means that “Friends” can only start filming in December, making the filming schedule even tighter than last year.
Last year, filming for Friends started at the end of November.
The more popular an artist is, the more precious their time and availability become.
Lu Yanhe said, "If we can try to coordinate, I still want to be on the Spring Festival Gala. The response to the program 'Chinese Language' was very good. Also, I haven't had a joint performance with either of them this year. We agreed that we should have at least one performance every year, so I'll try to make it happen."
Upon hearing this, Chen Ziyan smiled and nodded, "Alright then, I'll coordinate. But are you sure Li Zhibai and Yan Liang both want to participate in this year's Spring Festival Gala? Especially Yan Liang, he's the busiest person around this time of year."
Lu Yanhe nodded without hesitation, "I'm sure."
-
“No matter how busy I am, I can coordinate,” Yan Liang said. “As for needing to attend rehearsals in January, I’ll try my best to coordinate the schedule. I’ll definitely be filming the second season of Friends in January. I’ll discuss it with Yan He and see how to coordinate.”
Zhou Pingan said, "Yan Liang, you won't lose anything by not participating in the Spring Festival Gala for a year. You just participated once last year."
"This is my once-a-year stage reunion with the two of them," Yan Liang said frankly. "This year I hardly appeared on the 'Idol Era' stage, nor did I release any songs. You promised to help me release two singles this year, but what happened?"
Zhou Ping'an: "Isn't it because you're not satisfied with any of the songs we've received? Besides, in the current music market, apart from film and television OSTs, there's almost no space for original music. Music variety shows are all just rehashing old material, with no new songs."
Yan Liang: "We know these facts, but two singles a year is something that was included in the contract when we renewed it. No matter what method you use, you have to find songs that satisfy me."
Zhou Ping'an was somewhat annoyed.
Yan Liang's attitude has become increasingly frequent in their conversations lately.
Unfortunately, Zhou Ping'an had no way to deal with Yan Liang.
Zhou Ping'an: "In January, besides filming the second season of 'Friends,' you also had a few other jobs in mind. You know, there are usually a lot of ceremonies and events at the end of the year."
“If there’s a time conflict, then we’ll cancel those events,” Yan Liang said. “Brother Ping An, my priority is the Spring Festival Gala. The fact that the Spring Festival Gala production team invited us to participate for two consecutive years is a recognition of us. These year-end gala events happen every year, but the Spring Festival Gala doesn’t invite us every year.”
Yan Liang's uncompromising tone made Zhou Ping'an realize that no matter what he said, he couldn't change Yan Liang's mind.
-
"So it turns out that it wasn't just Zhou Ping'an who didn't care much about this year's Spring Festival Gala; Sister Ziyan also initially thought it would be better if you didn't participate, right?"
When the three of them met up and started talking about the Spring Festival Gala, Yan Liang asked Lu Yanhe with some surprise.
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "Yes, from an agent's perspective, having already participated in the Spring Festival Gala last year, participating again this year would be too frequent and wouldn't really help our careers."
Li Zhibai said, "Lin Suyang said the same thing. Participating in the Spring Festival Gala is not just a matter of one night. It basically means that you have to invest at least a month in it. There are rehearsals, then participation in the joint rehearsals, and all kinds of supporting work before the official Spring Festival Gala, but there is no pay. Of course, it doesn't matter to us, but for the team, this work means that they don't get any commission or bonuses."
Yan Liang: "They've already made enough money off us all year round. The Spring Festival Gala has a different kind of significance. We might get a lot of exposure and good shows throughout the year, and at first glance, we might seem very popular and famous, but for many people, none of that matters. The only thing that makes them know who we are is the program on the Spring Festival Gala. Besides, we haven't collaborated on any new stages this year. We had agreed beforehand that we would have at least one collaboration stage a year."
Lu Yanhe nodded, "That's what I said too, so I insisted that since the Spring Festival Gala invited us this year, we should sing the song 'Love' from before."
Li Zhibai said, "Then let's sing. This year, because of filming 'Chinese Paladin,' we missed the recording of 'The Days of Youth.' We can't not even have a reunion stage."
With just a few words, the three of them decided that they would be going to the Spring Festival Gala.
"Actually, the three of us together have released more than a dozen songs, right?" Li Zhibai suddenly remembered and asked.
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"We'll try to have more songs in the future, so the three of us can do a variety show concert together," Li Zhibai said. "I've always wanted to hold a concert, but I've gone astray. I don't have many songs, so I can't hold one even if I wanted to."
“Sure,” Yan Liang’s eyes lit up.
For them, wanting to hold a concert now isn't about making money anymore; it's about fulfilling a dream. After all, they all debuted as idols, and their first experience in the industry was on stage.
Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "Once these songs for 'Chinese Paladin' are released, it will probably be enough."
Both Li Zhibai and Yan Liang still have their own songs.
“Absolutely.” Li Zhibai nodded. “I’ve always wanted to hold a concert, so let’s put that on the agenda.”
The three were chatting animatedly when Wang Biao arrived.
-
In the past few days, Wang Biao has been repeatedly thinking about what Zou Dong had said to him.
He finally made up his mind to assign two more assistants to Lu Yanhe and hand over some of the daily chores.
The reason that ultimately forced him to make this decision was not that he himself realized that if he didn't find a new assistant for Lu Yanhe, he would not be able to get rid of these trivial matters for a day, but that Wang Biao knew that he could not continue to be both the executive agent and the assistant in this way for long.
Lu Yanhe didn't say anything, and Chen Ziyan wouldn't agree either.
Wang Biao didn't want to be forced to do this one day.
If possible, he felt that it would be enough for Lu Yanhe to have only him and Zou Dong by his side.
No one should try to take his place.
-
Lu Yanhe hadn't expected that Wang Biao would find him two assistants in one go.
"Xing Lecheng, Yu Xiaoyan."
The two people who appeared in front of him were both very young, and even had a few pimples on their faces.
Both of them followed Wang Biao's lead and called him Brother Lu.
Upon their first meeting, the two were extremely respectful and nervous in front of Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe's first impression of them was that they were ordinary-looking, reserved and taciturn, definitely not the proactive or enthusiastic type.
In fact, Lu Yanhe knew very well what Wang Biao was thinking and why he hadn't hired an assistant to share his workload for so long.
Because he understood this, Lu Yanhe never urged Wang Biao to find an assistant.
Wang Biao had been handling all these matters for him without any problems—the fact that he could manage so many things on his own without any issues showed just how tense he was every day and how much he wanted to prove his importance and ability.
Lu Yanhe didn't know how Wang Biao suddenly came to this conclusion and even brought over two assistants for him.
Xing Lecheng and Yu Xiaoyan both started working right after graduating from high school. One worked for a year, and the other for half a year; neither of them is yet twenty years old.
Lu Yanhe could basically tell without asking that these two men were younger than Wang Biao.
After meeting them briefly, Wang Biao told them to leave first.
Wang Biao told Lu Yanhe, "I've been observing these two people for about six months. They were introduced by my family. I didn't know them before, but my parents carefully inquired about them, learning about their backgrounds and personalities from childhood to adulthood in detail. In general, they may not be very smart, but they are both very honest people. Considering that you need someone around you, especially for the assistant position, the most important thing is reliability, being able to keep quiet, being diligent, and being responsible. That's why I chose these two."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
Wang Biao said nervously, "However, Shi Huo also recommended a few people, but I didn't choose any of them. Will this make Sister Ziyan unhappy?"
Lu Yanhe smiled and glanced at him.
"You're thinking that Sister Ziyan might be unhappy at this point?"
Wang Biao was a little hesitant.
"No, it's mainly because when Shi Huo sent over the list, they also told me to choose and make the decision," Wang Biao said. "I thought about it seriously for a long time. Although the people recommended by Shi Huo are quite outstanding in all aspects, it is precisely because of this that I am not very at ease. How can such people wholeheartedly do a good job as an assistant? You are not short of smart people around you. In all aspects of things, there will be the smartest people to help you make judgments. But an assistant is not required to do that. If someone is too smart in such a position, it is not a big deal if they are just using their position to their advantage. I am afraid that someone will use this position to do something underhanded."
Hearing Wang Biao's explanation, Lu Yanhe couldn't help but laugh.
He nodded.
“Okay, you can keep both of them for now and give them a try. If they’re both good, send one of them to the company in six months. I don’t need so many full-time assistants around me,” Lu Yanhe said. “One personal assistant is enough. We can talk about having more people when there are large events or when we need to go abroad for work.”
Wang Biao nodded.
“Okay, actually I brought them both over to see who did better and then I’d keep them,” he said. “Back then, Song Jiang and Wan Qingqing improved so quickly because of their competitive spirit.”
“Speaking of which, you can pick one of the people recommended by Shi Huo,” Lu Yanhe said.
Wang Biao was taken aback.
Lu Yanhe said, "Just like how you trained Wan Qingqing and Song Jiang, you didn't understand what Sister Ziyan meant. My agency contract is handled by Shihuo, and now Sister Ziyan is in charge of overall management. You are the executive agent who is handling the specific liaison, but you are not Shihuo's contracted agent. Sister Ziyan is also very busy. Shihuo needs someone to handle my specific liaison. Find someone from here to work with you for six months to a year, and then you can send that person back to Shihuo. At that time, that person will become my liaison at Shihuo."
Wang Biao suddenly realized.
"So that's what you mean. No wonder they always send graduates from prestigious universities to be assistants. But assistants don't need people with such high degrees; they're more likely to be arrogant."
Lu Yanhe listened to Wang Biao's mutterings, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
-
After learning about Wang Biao's situation, Chen Ziyan sighed, "He finally found a new assistant. I was thinking that if he didn't get this sorted out this year, I would have to start interfering."
Lu Yanhe: "He is very afraid of being replaced."
"I know that, to be fair, it's already quite an achievement for someone his age to have done this much, but that shouldn't be a reason to lower our expectations."
Chen Ziyan said, "Since he is your executive agent, he can't still look at these issues from the perspective of his former assistant. If he can't lead a team, how can he be an agent? He can only be an assistant for life. When necessary, we have to push him a little."
"He's doing very well now."
“That’s true. However, staying in a position like this next to you without making any progress is a waste of the opportunities and training that this position brings,” Chen Ziyan said. “You need to set higher expectations for him, Yan He. I know you don’t want to put him in a difficult position, and you think he has already worked very hard. But to be honest, the demands you’re making are just making him do less useless work. People’s time and energy are limited. You need to tell him what areas he should focus his efforts on based on your needs.”
"Okay." Lu Yanhe nodded.
He knew Chen Ziyan was right.
-
Lu Yanhe's scenes in "Chinese Paladin" are also nearing completion.
In the last week, Lu Yanhe's filming workload increased significantly.
We need to rush the work.
Lu Yanhe said it didn't matter; if they couldn't finish filming, he would come back and reshoot for a few more days. He didn't need to join any other crews during December and could come back in between.
Although his words reduced the pressure on the crew, everyone still hoped that they wouldn't have to do any reshoots.
The filming of the TV series "Chinese Paladin" took more than three months, with something to do every day.
Nobody wants the filming to go overtime.
One afternoon, Lu Yanhe ate something and was about to take a nap when Deng Xiaoyuan suddenly knocked on the door, looking for him.
Deng Xiaoyuan somehow learned about "2 Broke Girls" and volunteered to try and get a role.
Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised.
Deng Xiaoyuan said, "You've seen me act this time. I'm definitely a good actor. Yan He, I just need an opportunity."
Lu Yanhe was extremely surprised.
"Sister Xiaoyuan, this drama is still in preparation, and the script hasn't been completed yet."
“I know, I just wanted to recommend myself to you.” Deng Xiaoyuan said helplessly, “I don’t have a big company or a good agent. I know that once the news of this project gets out, it will definitely cause a frenzy in the industry. At that time, I may not even be able to get an audition opportunity.”
“How could that be, Sister Xiaoyuan? As long as you’re willing, you can audition for any of my future productions anytime you want,” Lu Yanhe said.
Just as Deng Xiaoyuan herself said, she is indeed a good actress who can act.
Although she only played a small role in this drama with very little screen time, she is the kind of actress who can seize opportunities to shine.
Deng Xiaoyuan: "Really, as long as you're willing to give me a regular main role in '2 Broke Girls,' I can work for free."
Lu Yanhe waved his hand.
“Sister Xiaoyuan, I know what you’re thinking, but I don’t want people to come and film my movies and end up not making any money,” Lu Yanhe said. “Sister Xiaoyuan, to be honest with you, there are indeed two main roles in ‘2 Broke Girls’ that might be suitable for you, but I don’t know what the final script will look like. In the end, it will definitely depend on the auditions.”
Deng Xiaoyuan asked, "Is it really true that they will definitely consider the auditions? I've participated in many auditions, and many times, it's not a problem with me personally; there are too many behind-the-scenes factors involved."
"I can't guarantee that the audition results will determine the outcome 100%, but it will definitely be a major factor," Lu Yanhe said. "This drama will be mainly controlled by Linghe, which will reduce the number of external factors."
Upon hearing this, Deng Xiaoyuan nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. Please make sure to give me an audition slot."
“Okay.” Lu Yanhe nodded.
-
Deng Xiaoyuan was seen leaving Lu Yanhe's lounge at noon.
In a film crew, this scene often leads to some unsavory rumors.
Even Lu Yanhe was not surprised.
Of course, these rumors will ultimately remain just rumors and cannot be taken seriously.
However, after Li Zhibai heard the rumors, he was speechless.
When he was filming in the afternoon, in front of many people, he rolled his eyes at Yan Liang and said loudly, "Even Yan He can be the subject of such rumors. Some people are really bored."
Li Zhibai's shouting puzzled Luo Yuzhong, who asked, "What's wrong?"
Li Zhibai: "It's nothing, Director. It's just that Sister Xiaoyuan went to Lao Lu's lounge at noon to chat about something, and someone saw her and started spreading some rumors about the two of them flirting."
"What is that?!" Luo Yuzhong said angrily in a deep voice.
Li Zhibai and Yan Liang were both taken aback, startled by Luo Yuzhong's reaction.
Luo Yuzhong immediately shouted, "Li Yu!"
His deputy immediately ran over.
"Director Luo, you called me?"
"Li Yu, go and find out who in the crew is spreading rumors about Xiao Lu!" Luo Yuzhong's face was very ugly. In front of everyone, his tone was stern, a departure from his usual gentle demeanor. "Let's see who thinks their job is too easy and can't control their mouth to talk nonsense!"
Li Yu was a little confused, not knowing what rumors Luo Yuzhong was talking about.
Of course, that's not important; we'll find out when we ask. Right now, the main thing is to cooperate with Luo Yuzhong and keep this "warning act" going.
Li Yu, having followed Luo Yuzhong, knew Luo Yuzhong's temper. If Luo Yuzhong really lost his temper on the spot, it wouldn't be because he couldn't control himself, but because he felt it was necessary to show everyone how angry he was.
Afterwards, Li Yu came to find Li Zhibai and asked him about the specific situation.
Li Zhibai explained briefly, then asked, "Brother Yu, why was the director so angry?"
He hadn't expected this.
Li Yu said, "Because this kind of rumor is very damaging to a drama. The fastest-spreading rumors in the world are these kinds of rumors about betraying one's lover, but they are also the hardest to clarify. Yan He's importance to the 'Chinese Paladin' crew is self-evident. The drama is still being filmed, and this kind of rumor has already spread. Once it spreads, and some busybodies ferment it, no matter how we clarify it afterwards, it's like a place stained with feces. No matter how many times you clean it, as long as there is another place you can sit, you will never sit there. The shadow has been cast."
Li Zhibai suddenly realized and nodded.
"People who spread rumors are truly despicable."
"They might just be a bit careless with their words. In a film crew, there are all sorts of people. You can't expect everyone to be well-mannered or have high standards. Sometimes, you have to make an example of them to deter others."
So, in the week that Lu Yanhe was about to finish filming, "Chinese Paladin" suddenly issued a statement.
The statement said that a staff member surnamed Huang from the production team was dismissed for spreading rumors and defaming the lead actor, Lu Yanhe.
A sudden and unexpected statement shocked everyone.
After issuing this statement, Li Yu convened a short meeting with everyone in the production crew.
“I know that sometimes you just say things casually or make jokes without thinking, but think about it. Once such rumors spread online and have a negative impact on Lu Yanhe, what kind of impact will that have on the show?”
Li Yu said, "Don't think I don't know how many of you are gossiping about this behind my back. I'll just say one thing: if I hear anyone spreading this kind of rumor or similar rumors again, it won't just be a matter of being fired from our crew. We'll notify all film and television companies in the industry. I'd like to see which crew will dare to use someone like this in the future."
Li Yu's words were a combination of threat and warning, a warning to others.
The atmosphere on set suddenly became somewhat somber.
Throughout this incident, Lu Yanhe remained silent and made no statement.
Because it's not suitable either.
On the contrary, Deng Xiaoyuan sent him a private message to apologize, feeling that she had brought such trouble to Lu Yanhe.
Little did they know, Lu Yanhe had nothing to do with these things at all.
He was thinking about something else.
When he was filming "Love Letter", he overheard two staff members talking about him behind his back, saying a lot of negative things about him.
At the time, he thought that as long as everyone did their job well, what others talked about behind their backs wouldn't have any impact. In addition, he didn't want to appear too concerned about what others were saying about him, so he didn't even look at what the two people who were talking about him looked like, and didn't care.
This time, Li Yu handled it in a completely different way.
Not only was the person who spread the rumor quickly identified, but the public announcement of this incident served as a warning to others, thus swiftly calming the matter down.
Lu Yanhe was reflecting on his approach. He wanted to appear "mature" and "tolerant," so he chose to "turn a blind eye." But was that truly "maturity and tolerance"? Was it right? Was it appropriate?
A choice made long ago has become a boomerang, striking him at this very moment.
Lu Yanhe reflected on himself and realized that he must have made a mistake at the time.
He shouldn't have done that.
(End of this chapter)
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